Gloria Estefan

An internationally renowned pop star, Gloria Estefan paved the way for Spanish-speaking artists to dominate the music charts. She first captured millions of hearts as the lead singer of Miami Sound Ma...
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Cyndi Lauper, Linda Perry and Toby Keith are set to be inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame as part of the Class of 2015. Tragic Grateful Dead frontman Jerry Garcia and his frequent collaborator Robert Hunter will also be feted, as will country songwriter/producer Bobby Braddock and late blues star Willie Dixon.
Songwriters Hall of Fame President & CEO Linda Moran says, "Our 2015 lineup of inductees represents the rich diversity of American musical styles - Rock, Country, Blues and Pop - that have captivated the world over the past six decades. Each one of these brilliant music creators have written instantly recognisable classics, songs that are both of their time and timeless."
The Class of 2015 will be honoured at the organisation's 46th annual Induction and Awards Dinner in New York City on 18 June (15).
Gloria Estefan and Kenneth 'Babyface' Edmonds were among the artists who missed out on inductions after being shortlisted for the honour in October (14).
The Songwriters Hall of Fame features the likes of Hal David and Burt Bacharach, John Fogerty, Bob Dylan, Carole King, Paul Simon, Brian Wilson, Bruce Springsteen and Leonard Cohen.

An attorney for Emilio Estefan has hit back at allegations suggesting the music mogul stole the concept for a reality TV show from a disabled veteran, insisting the lawsuit has already been rejected twice by U.S. court officials. Gloria Estefan's manager husband was recently slapped with legal action from John Jacobs, Jr., who claims the 2005 talent competition New Voices of America, which aired on American Spanish-language network Telemundo, was based on an idea he pitched to executives at Estefan Entertainment back in 1999.
He is demanding $15 million (£9.4 million) in compensation for emotional stress caused by the alleged snub, but now Emilio's legal representative is speaking out to set the record straight.
Karen L. Stetson tells Fox News Latino Jacobs, Jr.'s charges are "without any merit whatsoever" and reveals this is the third time he has tried to sue her client, even though his case has twice been dismissed.
Her statement continues, "Mr. Jacobs appears to be confused and unwell, and unable to accept the prior courts' rulings.
"In actuality, it was the network that presented the television show's concept to my client, not Mr. Jacobs. In fact, Mr. Estefan has never even met Mr. Jacobs. We are more than confident that this new attempt by Mr. Jacobs will fail was well."

Gloria Estefan's manager husband is facing legal action amid allegations he stole the concept for a reality TV show from a disabled veteran. John Jacobs, Jr. claims he approached executives at Emilio Estefan's firm Estefan Entertainment in 1999 to pitch his idea for a singing competition and fitness boot camp.
He landed a meeting with Estefan himself, but was later left distraught when the talent manager cancelled the appointment.
In 2005, Estefan Entertainment chiefs launched a show called New Voices of America, which Jacobs, Jr. alleges is based on the concept he previously tried to sell the company - and now he is demanding $15 million (£9.4 million) in compensation for emotional stress caused by the alleged snub, according to TMZ.com.
Estefan has yet to respond to the suit.

Actress Sofia Vergara took time out of the Screen Actors Guild Awards afterparties on Sunday (25Jan15) to congratulate her fellow countrywoman Miss Colombia after she was crowned Miss Universe. Paulina Vega beat Miss USA Nia Sanchez to claim the prestigious title at property mogul Donald Trump's annual pageant in Florida on Sunday night and Vergara wasted no time in celebrating the 22 year old's win with a congratulatory post online.
The Modern Family star, who was attending the SAG Awards in Los Angeles at the time of the beauty contest, took to her WhoSay.com account after the results news broke and shared a photo of Vega to mark the occasion.
In the accompanying caption, she simply wrote, "Barranquilla!!!!! Miss Universe!!!!", referring to Vega's native city.
Singer Ricky Martin also celebrated Vega's big win by uploading a congratulatory voicemail message in Spanish for the business administration student via Twitter.com.
Former Miss USA, Shanna Moakler, who now serves as a director for the Miss USA contests, also tweeted about the pageant results, writing, "Over the moon happy for @missusa 1st runner up at Miss Universe!! I am so proud and so honored to have been apart of your journey. I love u (sic).
"Congrats to Colombia Universe! and ALL the national directors, this has been such an honor... thank u #MissUniverse for an incredible show!"
The competition featured performances from Latin hunk Prince Royce and singer Nick Jonas, while the star-studded judging panel included actor/model William Levy, Gloria Estefan's producer husband Emilio Estefan, and Filipino boxer Manny Pacquiao.
Last year's (14) Miss Universe contest was won by Venezuela's Gabriela Isler.

Actor-turned-TV presenter Mario Lopez has signed on as Grand Marshal for the upcoming Miami Beach Gay Pride parade in Florida. The former Saved by the Bell star will preside over the annual event on 12 April (15), with more than 100,000 spectators expected to attend the festival.
Lopez has been a long-time supporter of the Gay and Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD), and has also participated in the organisation's anti-gay bullying campaign, called Amplify Your Voice.
He follows in the footsteps of Cuban-American star and Miami native Gloria Estefan, who served as the parade's Grand Marshal last year (14).

Actress Gina Gershon is to play Pam Anderson on Glee. The Bound star will portray the mother of Darren Criss' character Blaine on the TV musical drama. Pam Anderson is her character's name. Comedienne Jennifer Coolidge and Community star Ken Jeong were also recently cast as the parents to Heather Morris' character Brittany S. Pierce. They join fellow stars Idina Menzel, who is mum to Lea Michele's Rachel Berry and Gloria Estefan as Santana Lopez's mother Maribel.

Latin superstar Gloria Estefan is reprising her role as Naya Rivera's mother in Glee for the hit TV musical's final season. The veteran singer made her Glee debut in 2012, when she and pal Ricky Martin joined forces to bring a little Latin fever to the show, and now Estefan is preparing to return once more as Maribel Lopez for an episode titled, The Wedding.
The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You hitmaker teased fans about her upcoming guest appearance by sharing a picture of a Glee studio sign on Instagram.com on Tuesday (16Dec14), writing, "It seems it never rains in Southern California... Lol (laugh out loud). We're 'Glee-full' to be here!"
She followed the post up with a collage of photos from the set on Wednesday (17Dec14), alongside the caption, "Early call time here on the set of Glee".
The Wedding episode will air in the U.S. next year (15) as part of the sixth and final season of the show.

Veteran singer Gloria Estefan has blasted non-profit officials behind plans to restore and re-open the Miami Marine Stadium in Florida, accusing them of misleading her about their intentions for the project. The Rhythm Is Gonna Get You hitmaker donated $500,000 (£312, 500) of her own funds to the Friends of Miami Marine Stadium group to help raise money for the rebuilding campaign, but she was not told about further plans to develop additional commercial properties around the area.
Estefan is angry about being kept in the dark and insists she should have been made aware about the whole project before she agreed to front the landmark's restoration effort - because she doesn't agree with the commercial plans.
A letter written by Estefan reads, "As the public face and spokesperson for the restoration of the Miami Marine Stadium, I feel that my credibility and reputation have been put into question merely by my presumed association with the plan presented by (Friends of Miami Marine Stadium).
"I had absolutely NO prior knowledge of the expansive plan that (Friends) ultimately presented to the Commission."
Estefan, who is a boardmember for non-profit organisation the National Trust for Historic Preservation, also claims she did not learn about the developers' intentions until last month (Nov14), when she helped announce intentions to bring the Miami International Boat Show to the site in 2016.
The plan for the project fell apart in November (14) at a commissioner's meeting and Friends co-founder Don Worth has now apologised to Estefan, saying, "I really apologise not only to Gloria, but also to the National Trust for Historic Preservation and all the other groups who supported so strongly the restoration of the Marine Stadium for what was an ill-advised move.
"It's extremely unfortunate that seven years of very hard work and very successful interests on so many fronts has come down to this. Our credibility has taken an enormous hit, deservedly. I don't know if this group (even if) reformulated can recover from it."
The venue used to be a hub for cultural and political events - Sammy Davis, Jr. famously hugged U.S. President Richard Nixon there in 1972 and Jimmy Buffett performed an iconic concert there in 1985.
It fell into disrepair and was closed down after suffering severe damage from Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

Oscar De La Renta's family and close friends will gather in New York next week (begs03Nov14) to bid a final farewell to the iconic fashion designer. The style legend, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 2006, passed away on 20 October (14), at the age of 82.
His death was marked with a national day of mourning in his native Dominican Republic shortly after news of his passing broke, and now details for his private funeral have emerged.
According to Vogue magazine, he will be laid to rest following a mass at the Church of St. Ignatius Loyola in Manhattan next Tuesday (04Nov14), when a slew of celebrity friends and fashionistas, including Vogue editor-in-chief Anna Wintour and actress Sarah Jessica Parker, are expected to be in attendance.
Wintour and Parker honoured the memory of de la Renta in the days after his death by penning heartfelt essays about their close pal online, while other famous clients, including Taylor Swift, Zoe Saldana, Gloria Estefan and Lindsay Lohan, also paid tribute to the late designer via Twitter.com.

Julio Iglesias and Vogue editor Anna Wintour have honoured the memory of the legendary Oscar De La Renta by penning personal tributes to the late fashion mogul, who died on Monday (20Oct14). Veteran singer Iglesias remembered his longtime friend as his "soulmate" in his touching online post, which also featured a photo of the old pals.
In the accompanying message, the Spaniard, who owned a neighbouring vacation home to de la Renta's Punta Cana retreat in the Dominican Republic, wrote, "Now who's going to tell me about the nice things in life, who will give me advice?
"I imagine you've taken with you the sea of Punta Cana, the sea of memories, the sea of joy, the sea of magic, the sea that you invented. There will not be a day in my life that the sea you brought to me will not return a smile for you. I love you forever."
Meanwhile, fashion icon Wintour paid her respects to de la Renta in an emotional essay, insisting his "optimistic, fun, sunny, romantic" personality will live on through his designs.
She writes, "There is much being said that his passing yesterday marks the end of an era. Not true. He was the most democratic man I knew and he would have lived happily and defined any era."
Wintour goes on to reveal she knew the end was near for her dear friend after visiting him at his Connecticut home last weekend (11-12Oct14) with her daughter Bee Shaffer, recalling, "We laughed about Bee's love life. He gave her advice, and then he said he had a dream to see the allee and pond he had just designed on the grounds (of his home). He could no longer move, so we went out and took pictures on his iPad for him to see...
"His last words to me were 'I love you,' and I said 'I love you' back."
She adds, "He always said 'accept your friends for who they are, not for who you want them to be'. Oscar was everything you could want a friend to be."
Former U.S. First Lady Hillary Clinton, who was a big fan of de la Renta's, has also issued a joint statement with her husband, former President Bill Clinton, their daughter Chelsea and her spouse, Marc Mezvinsky.
The statement reads: "We are deeply saddened by the passing of our dear friend, Oscar de la Renta. His singular talent and exquisite taste elevated American fashion, and his warmth and friendship will be missed by our family and all whose lives he touched in his extraordinary journey."
De la Renta, who had been diagnosed with cancer in 2006, died on Monday (20Oct14) at the age of 82.
Tributes have also poured in from celebrity clients including Taylor Swift, Zoe Saldana, Jennifer Garner, Rita Wilson and Gloria Estefan.

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Miami Sound Machine released first English language album Eyes of Innocence, featuring the dance hit "Dr. Beat"

Released the multi-platinum selling Let It Loose, featuring "Anything for You" and "Rhythm Is Gonna Get You"

Released first album credited as solo artist Cuts Both Ways

Featured in the very first "Divas Live: An Honors Concert for VH1 Save the Music" alongside Aretha Franklin, Celine Dion, Mariah Carey, and Shania Twain

Group's name changed to Gloria Estefan and Miami Sound Machine

Along with husband Emilio, bought a small ownership stake in the Miami Dolphins

Began singing with the Miami Sound Machine (then billed as the Miami Latin Boys with Gloria Estefan)

Co-starred with Andy Garcia in the biographical drama "For Love or Country: The Arturo Sandoval Story"

Released the single "Reach," the official song of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, GA

Critically injured near Scranton, PA when a speeding semi-truck crashed into her tour bus

Recorded a cover disco hit "Turn the Beat Around" originally performed by Vicki Sue Robinson in 1976; track was included in the covers album Hold Me, Thrill Me, Kiss Me

Film acting debut, "Music of the Heart" opposite Meryl Streep; also sang film's theme song with *NSYNC

Released first English language album in five years Unwrapped

Guest starred on musical comedy series "Glee" (Fox)

Achieved crossover success with the Miami Sound Machine album Primitive Love and its hit singles "Conga," "Bad Boy," and the ballad "Words Get in the Way"

Released comeback album Into the Light and the inspirational hit "Coming Out of the Dark"

First Spanish language album as a solo artist, Mi Tierra

Celebrated her Latin-dance-pop roots with Miss Little Havana

Summary

An internationally renowned pop star, Gloria Estefan paved the way for Spanish-speaking artists to dominate the music charts. She first captured millions of hearts as the lead singer of Miami Sound Machine, performing Top 10 hits such as "Conga" (1985), "Rhythm is Gonna Get You" (1987), and "Don't Wanna Lose You" (1989). Blending Latin, dance and adult contemporary styles, Estefan remained a major force in the music industry until a tragic bus accident in 1990 that left her with broken vertebrae. Her courage and determination helped Estefan survive the crash, and it was not long after until she reemerged with the inspirational single "Coming Out of the Dark" (1991). The Grammy Award-winning artist also made successful attempts at acting and entrepreneurial ventures, yet it was her talent, charisma, and grace that made Estefan one of the most influential female artists of her generation.

Was part of regiment assigned to protect Fulgencio Baptista when he was in power; fled Cuba with family when Fidel Castro came to power; later worked with the CIA and served in Vietnam; Diagnosed with multiple sclerosis